By My Halidome! The Use and Overuse of Period Language in Historical Novels

June 29, 2016 · by Kate Gilbert | in Craft, General | tagged archaic language, Baroness Orczy, Hilary Mantel, M.T. Anderson, Mark Twain, narrative voice, period dialogue., Sir Walter Scott | 7 Comments

Gentle reader, prithee tarry thou a moment in mine company, for by my troth, a tale I would fain unfold for thee. List and learn… And there you have it: gadzookery, the intemperate and/or unskillful use of archaic language. If you’re a reader of historical fiction, you’re no doubt familiar with the phenomenon. And if, […]

The Most Translated Writer You’ve Never Read: Stefan Zweig and His Austria

June 22, 2016 · by JS Epstein | in Field Trips, Profiles | tagged Austria or Vienna or Salzburg, Books in translation, Chess Stories, Jewish culture and Austria, Jewish Writers and the Holocaust, Literature about Central Europe, Maria Schrader and Von Der Morgenrote, Most translated writers, New York Review of Books, Novellas or Short stories, Once famous now obscure writers, Stefan Zweig, Stefan Zweig Centre, Travel reading, Wes Anderson and Stefan Zweig, Writer's Relationship with Hometown, Writers and suicide | 11 Comments

Before I travel, I like to immerse myself in some of the culture of the place. Soon to embark on a trip to Central Europe, I’ve been watching foreign films and discovering the work of authors I’ve never read. One of these authors is Stefan Zweig, prolific writer and especially master of the art of […]

Let’s get pinned! Pinterest for Readers and Writers

June 15, 2016 · by Janet Hogan Chapman | in The Writing Life | tagged Author Platform, Basic Information on Pinterest, Exposure through Pinterest, Famous Authors on Pinterest, Pinners and Pinning, Pinners' Boards, Pinterest for Readers, Pinterest for Writers, What is Pinterest | 6 Comments

Let’s start this piece off with an important clarification. P-I-N-T-E-R-E-S-T is not a misspelling! Pinterest is the correct spelling of an online application for sharing pictures, links, and content. In essence, Pinterest is a virtual bulletin board. Pinterest can be an amazing tool for readers and writers. Gurus that tout the benefits of author platforms […]

The Case for Fairy Tales Part 2: Villains as Allies

June 8, 2016 · by Eve Shulmister | in Beyond Books, Storytelling | tagged "Little Man" Modern Retelling of Rumplestiltskin, Brutes as Stand-ins for Dark Side of Parenting, Different Kinds of Fairy Tale Villains, Evolution of Goldilocks from Silver Hair, Fairy Tale Villains, Jungian Themes in Fairy Tales, Robert Bly's iron John, Villains Cause Change in Story, Villains More Interesting than Heroes, Why Villains in Fairy Tales are often Nameless, Women the Face of Evil in Fairy Tales | 8 Comments

Everybody knows the story of the Three Little Pigs. Or at least they think they do. But I’ll let you in on a little secret. Nobody knows the real story, because nobody has ever heard my side of the story. So narrates A. Wolf in The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. In this […]

Unexpected Literary Finds on a New Zealand Birding Expedition

June 1, 2016 · by Deb Miller | in Field Trips | tagged Birder's Lifelist, Dame Ngaio Marsh, Katherine Mansfield and New Zealand birthplace, Katherine Mansfield and Virginia Woolf, Katherine Mansfield New Zealand's greatest writer, Katherine Mansfield's greatness as a short story writer, New Zealand and birding, Ngaio Marsh and Women Crime Writers, Ngaio Marsh's fiction and Maori culture | 17 Comments

Lifetime literary challenge to self: Visit as many women authors’ museums as I can find in my travels and take inspiration from them. Buy a book, take a photo, read her work. It’s a project that has led me to an invigorating list of authors I might never have otherwise chosen. Part of the fun […]